Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth is terminating a left-wing policy committee that advises on women in the armed services.
The move is Hegseth’s latest effort to root out “wokeness” at the Pentagon.
Hegseth believes the gender-specific focus of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services is “divisive” and undermines resolve.
According to the Military Times, Hegseth wrote in a September 17 memo:
“After further review, I have determined that the reinstatement of the Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Services (DACOWITS) should not proceed.”
The War Department had been planning to bring back the committee just days before, according to a September 8 memo.
However, Hegseth reversed course.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth is moving to end a “divisive feminist agenda.”
“After further review, Secretary Hegseth has decided to terminate the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services,” Wilson wrote.
“The Committee is focused on advancing a divisive feminist agenda that hurts combat readiness, while Secretary Hegseth has focused on advancing uniform, sex-neutral standards across the Department.”
The Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services has made over 1,000 recommendations to the Pentagon.
97% of those recommendations have been adopted.
The committee was established during the Truman administration to recruit women during the Korean War.
According to the committee’s website, it “is composed of civilian women and men appointed by the Secretary of War to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the Armed Forces of the United States.”
After the rollback of Roe v. Wade, the committee recommended steps to protect abortion access, the Daily Signal noted.
The committee’s report said:
“As the Defense Department continues to examine this Supreme Court decision and evaluate policies to ensure Service members, dependents, beneficiaries, and Defense Department civilian employees are provided seamless access to essential women’s health care services, as permitted by federal law, the Committee is concerned about potential impacts to servicewomen.”
During his contentious Senate confirmation process, Hegseth came under fire over his past comments that women do not belong in combat roles.
“I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present,” he said.
“My critiques, senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered.”
In a post on X, Hegseth said the latest changes emphasize merit and unity.
“Gender neutral, color blind, merit-based,” he wrote.
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